A Thousand Stars - part three
by Prue
Summary: A portrayal of the Xena/Ares relationship in modern-day New Jersey.


A thousand stars  
By Prue  
  
Part Three - Chagrin

**Disclaimer** - See [part one][1]  
**Feedback **- All praise, constructive criticism and death threats can be sent to [prue@xenafan.com][2]  
_  
"And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you'd feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't want to go home right now"  
_- "Iris", The Goo Goo Dolls_  
  
  
_Isabel stared at the cordless phone that sat on her bed. She'd hoped it wouldn't  
come to this, but it was her last resort. Sighing, she dialed the number.  
"Hello and welcome to Hotties-4-Hire, Carrington's finest teen escort agency.  
How many I help you?"  
"Very funny Ash." she replied. "I have a real problem."  
"What is it?" Ashley asked.  
"It's Michael. Today when I got home, he was up in my room waiting for me."  
"You're kidding!" Ashley cried. "What did he say?"  
"Well, he didn't actually get a chance to say anything." Isabel replied. "I kicked  
him out."  
"You didn't!" Ashley screeched. "He probably wanted to apologize to you or  
something!"  
"I know. And I'm not all that mad at him anyway."  
"You're not?" Ashley asked deliriously. "Why the sudden change of heart?"  
"Well...uh...this is kinda hard to say, but..." she stammered.  
"But what?"  
"I kinda like him."  
"I knew it!" Ashley squealed. "You're in love! I knew you two would be perfect  
for each other; you'll make such a cute couple; Omigod, this is so incredible..."  
"Ashley, shut up."  
"Sorry." Silence. "Are you going to talk to him? she asked softly.  
"About what?" Isabel snapped.  
"You know."  
"Yeah." she replied. "Probably. Maybe." Ashley rolled her eyes.  
"If you won't talk to him, I will." she threatened.  
"Don't you dare." Isabel said menacingly. "I'll deal with it myself."  
"Of course." Ashley said sarcastically.  
"Look, I'll talk to him tomorrow." she sighed.  
"Really?" Ashley asked, disbelievingly.  
"I will." Isabel said firmly. "Trust me."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Michael's electronic diary  
I can't take it anymore. I'm breaking up with Miranda. I don't care what she says, none  
of this is worth it. I don't love her; I have to clear my conscience. I can't love Isabel and  
be with Miranda at the same time. Isabel deserves better than that. Miranda's going to  
kill me, I know it. But dying in name of love can't be so bad.  
  
Michael read over what he'd just written. _Dying in the name of love? _he thought  
increduously. _Could you get any more dramatic?_ Sighing, he saved it anyway.  
Besides, he had a bigger problem on his hands now - he had to call Miranda.  
Staring at the phone as though it were a poisonous snake, he lifted the receiver  
and dialed Miranda's number.  
Four rings. Click.  
"Yeah?" Miranda asked. Michael cringed at the sound of her voice. At least Isabel  
had the decency to say hello when she answered the phone.  
"It's Michael." he said. "We need to talk."  
"We're talking now." she replied.  
"Not over the phone." he said softly. "Can we meet somewhere tomorrow?"  
"I s'pose." Michael was sure he detected some anger in Miranda's voice, and  
figured she probably knew where this was heading.  
"I need to stay behind after school tomorrow, but can you meet me out the front  
at five?"  
"I don't see why you bother with school." she whined. "I'm getting by without it."  
"Oh are you?" he replied, then immediately regretted it. It wouldn't be any good  
to upset her now.  
"Goodbye Michael." she said quietly. "I'll see you tomorrow." Then she hung up.  
_Great, just great._ he thought. _She's already mad at me, and I haven't even  
dumped her!  
_  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"Explain the surface tension of water in chemical terms." Michael read aloud  
from his Chemistry textbook. How was he supposed to know that? He'd spent his  
last three Chemistry lessons staring at Isabel instead of actually listening.  
Suddenely a pair of hands covered his eyes.  
"Guess who?"  
"Miranda?" he asked.  
"Good guess." she spun around a kissed him full on the lips. Uncomfortably,  
Michael pushed her away.  
"What's the matter?" she asked.  
"Can we go outside?" Michael asked. "We need to talk."  
"Talking's all we ever do." Miranda whined. "I can think of other things we could  
do without our time." She slid her arms around his neck seductively.  
"Not now Miranda." he said shaking his head. _Not ever._ he added. Silently, she  
followed him outside to the hallway. Leaning against his locker, Michael took a  
deep breath.  
"Miranda," he began. "I have to be honest with you. This isn't working out."  
Miranda just stared at him.  
"I want to break up."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Isabel was on a mission. She hadn't seen Michael all morning, and when she'd  
tried to talk to him in Chemistry that afternoon, he'd immdeiately been called  
away by a teacher. The Fates were out to get her, she decided. Hoping that  
Ashley was right and Michael really had gone to the library that afternoon, she  
turned down the hallway of lockers.  
"Miranda...mmm...off..." a male voice sliced through the empty building. Turning  
around, she could not believe what she saw. Michael. Lip-locked with a girl who  
was obviously Miranda. His girlfriend. Or ex-girlfriend, so she'd believed.  
Suddenly Michael looked up and their eyes met. She couldn't take it anymore. At  
lightening speed, she tore down the hallway, Michael's sad eyes following her all  
the way.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Angrily, Michael forced Miranda off him. What had he just done? Had he actually  
let her kiss him?  
"Who was that?" Miranda asked, staring at where Isabel had stood only a minute  
before.  
"No one." he lied.  
"Like I believe you." Miranda scoffed. "That's why you're leaving me, isn't it?"  
she continued angrily. "You've found someone else."  
"Not exactly." Michael sighed. "It's completely one-sided."  
"Yeah, and I bet I can guess which side that is!" Miranda pushed him in the  
chest. "You're disgusting." she spat. "Whoever she was, she deserves you." With  
that she stalked off, her shoes clicking ominously against the hard floor.  
"No you're wrong Miranda." he whispered to the empty corridor. "Isabel deserves  
so much better."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
She'd tried to cry all evening, but the tears hadn't come. What was the big deal  
anyway? What had even made her think he had feelings for her? He'd tried to  
kiss her, so what? He wasn't the first guy to. Angrily, she punched her pillow.  
Where was Ashley now that she needed her? She'd been trying to call her friend  
for the past hour, but there hadn't been anybody home. Sullenly she got out of  
bed and flopped down into her desk chair. She just didn't have any energy at the  
moment. Flipping on her snake light, she began leafing through the piles of  
papers and photographs that had fallen off her desk. A tattered notebook. An old  
biology paper (she'd gotten an A on that one!). A couple of photographs that she  
and Ashley had taken a few months ago. A piece of folded notebook paper. She  
unfolded it and tried to smooth the creases. Her eyes roaming over the last line  
of the page, her heart almost skipped a beat.  
"By Michael?" she read increduously. Curiously, she began reading.  
  
I wish upon a thousand stars  
To hold you in my arms  
Blow out every candle  
And wish to be with you  
  
Sometimes I look at you  
See only perfection  
But feel only pain  
I long to reach out  
and touch your face  
But I can't  
  
I wonder what you're making of me...  
  
Do you know how it feels  
To be so close  
Yet so far away  
When you know it's wrong  
But it feels so right  
  
Why is it  
That every night I lie awake  
Yet still I dream of you  
That everyone I look at  
Has your face  
  
Why can't you understand  
That I never want to hurt you  
I only want to hold you  
To be with you  
  
And that it's all because I love you...  
  
Tears spilled down her cheeks. It wasn't his wording, or the overall mentality of  
the poem that had touched her so much. More so, it was the fact that he had  
called it_ Isabel._  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Walking towards her locker the next morning, Michael was the first person she  
saw. Approaching him, she took a deep breath.  
"Michael?" she said, standing beside him.  
"Yes?" he asked.  
"I found the poem." Michael was nothing short of suprised.  
"Where-how-" he stammered.  
"Look, I think I may have misjudged you." she said softly.  
"Isabel, I am so sorry." Michael whispered. "I never meant to lie to you. What  
you saw yesterday, between Miranda and I, it meant nothing. We really have  
broken up this time. For good."  
Isabel nodded her head. "I know."  
"And about the game." he continued. "Even though you'll probably never forgive  
me for that, I have to apologize anyway. I tried to you know, that time in your  
bedroom, but you didn't listen. And I don't blame you."  
I'm sorry." Isabel whispered.  
"Don't be." Michael said. "It wasn't your fault. Not at all."  
"Anything else I should know?" she asked dryly, a small smile playing on her  
face. Michael nodded his head.  
"I love you." And with that they leaned towards each other and kissed.  
  
THE END  
  
  
**Author's note: **Sorry this is so much shorter than the other parts, but I wanted to sum this up as nicely as possible. I'll be writing a sequel soon, but for now I just want a rest! :)

   [1]: http://www.stormloader.com/prue/1000stars/part2.html
   [2]: mailto:prue@xenafan.com



End file.
